Afrobeat – a blend of soul, funk, and
Latin sounds with traditional Yoruba sacred and dance music – is
today globally popular; bands devoted to the style are found in
(among other places) Chicago, Seattle, LA, Portland, Austin, New
York, London, Lisbon, and, of course, Nigeria. Lagos was the
incubator, where the pressure of a military dictatorship combined
with the social and musical upheaval of the 1960s that
leaked from Europe and the USA started the young Olufela Olusegun
Oludotun Ransome-Kuti on what would become an extraordinary journey.

The
music from the 10-piece band is rich and juicy. Mostly Afrobeat, yes,
but also bits of traditional Orisha sacred music, Juju, Highlife,
even a brief snippet of pure James Brown (channeled through Sierra
Leone singer Geraldo Pino). The music – along with the dancing and
singing of a talented and ridiculously fine-looking ensemble – is
reason enough to attend. But even devoted fans of the musical style
will probably learn something about its originator as they're doing
the chair-dance.

The show doesn't pretend to be a full
biography of Fela; rather, it drops in bits of history to explain the
turbulent period in the late 1970s when Fela's conflict with the
Nigerian military dictatorship came to a violent climax.

Fela's
mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, looms large as an influence in his
education, and as a presence in his life even after her death. Her
importance to his story is made clear in the portrait of her that
hangs over the stage throughout the production. Indeed, Melanie
Marshall as Funmilayo steals almost every scene in which she appears
with commanding stage presence and tremendous voice (“Trouble Sleep”).

But the show is primarily focused on
Fela himself. Adesola Osakalumi does an impressive job of conveying
Fela's drive (musical, political, and sexual) and musical acumen as
well as his conflicts and doubts, though at times it feels he's
holding back on expressing the man's sheer intensity of personality.

Besides Fela and Funmilayo, only one
other character becomes at all multidimensional. And that's being
somewhat generous, as American activist Sandra Izsadore (played by
Michelle Williams) features primarily in one short scene in which
Fela woos her and in return receives a primer on Western Black Power, along with a
reading list (“Upside Down”).

Michelle Williams
(photo by Carol Rosegg)

(Williams, despite her impressive
voice apparently has a clause in her contract that requires costumes
that show off her thin limbs, which contrast starkly to the sturdy, fit physiques of the show's other women.) After this scene, however,
Sandra fades into the background, at one point dancing alone on the
top level of the set while everyone else cuts loose below.

Is it an American perspective of Fela
that portrays him as so alone? He's shown as having no close
confidants and very little contact with the world outside his
compound after trips to America and England. And there's no mention
of his children (two of whom – Seun and Femi – have followed in
their father's musical footsteps) or their mothers.

Themes of government corruption,
military abuse, and exploitation by multinational corporations loom
large, and a few contemporary references reinforce the obvious truth
that these problems are still with us. During “Coffin for Head ofState” caskets are paraded around the stage bearing the names of,
among others, Travon Martin and Sean Bell. Darker still are the
portrayals of Fela's torture in captivity and the military attack on
his home (“Everything Scatter”).

The high-energy first act raised my
expectations, but the second act turned out to be something of a
let-down, despite containing perhaps the show's best number,
“Zombie,” a scathing best-seller about the mindless obedience of
soldiers.

I had high expectations for FELA!, and
while the music, singing, and dancing are fantastic, the structure,
storytelling, and casting (still looking at you, Williams), are more
flawed than I would expect of a five-year-old show that has run on
Broadway. This won't be the last attempt to tell Fela's story; with
the passage of a bit more time I expect that Fela – much like a
certain pot-smoking Jamaican reggae pioneer and activist – will be
more widely known and appreciated, for both his groundbreaking music
and his commitment to social justice. FELA! is a crucial early step
in that process.

SoundRoots Archive

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About SoundRoots

SoundRoots provides information about and commentary on ethnic arts and world cultures, particularly what's known around here as "world music." Frequent mp3 postings too, so you can listen while you read. Live Locally, Groove Globally!

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